Inkjet Printer Nozzle Grouping for Low-Temperature Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printers face issues with low-temperature ink viscosity, leading to ejection failures and illegible prints due to the prohibition of printing until the ink reaches a predetermined temperature, which can delay the confirmation of information, especially in early morning facsimile receptions.
Innovation Solution
An inkjet printer configuration with a temperature sensor and control device that allows printing by dividing nozzles into groups, enabling normal and low-temperature print modes. In the low-temperature mode, ink is ejected from multiple nozzles to form contiguous dots, ensuring print quality even if one nozzle fails, thus preventing entire dot failure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If printing is prohibited when ink temperature is low to prevent ejection failure, then print quality is maintained, but productivity is reduced due to delayed printing
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzles are divided into multiple nozzle groups, where each group contains nozzles that can be selectively activated. This segmentation allows the system to use only the necessary number of nozzles for printing at low temperatures, reducing the risk of ejection failure while maintaining print quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The printing system dynamically adjusts the number of nozzles used based on temperature conditions. At low temperatures, fewer nozzles are activated to ensure reliable ink ejection, while at normal temperatures, all nozzles can be used for higher productivity. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between reliability and productivity.
2Reliability
If printing is prohibited until ink temperature rises to predetermined temperature, then ejection failure is prevented, but loss of time occurs due to waiting for temperature increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessment of temperature conditions and proactively adjusts the nozzle configuration before printing begins. By pre-configuring the appropriate number of nozzle groups based on current temperature, the system avoids ejection failures without requiring waiting time for temperature increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters by adjusting the number of active nozzle groups based on temperature. This parameter adaptation allows printing to proceed at low temperatures with reduced nozzle count, eliminating both the reliability issue and the time loss associated with waiting for temperature rise.
3Reliability
If multiple nozzles are used to form dots at low temperature to prevent ejection failure, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting nozzles into distinct groups that can be independently controlled, the system manages complexity through modular organization. Each nozzle group can be selectively activated based on temperature conditions, making the control logic more manageable while ensuring reliable dot formation through redundant nozzle availability.
Data Source
AI summary
An inkjet printer configured to print by ejecting ink based on print data, an inkjet head comprising a plurality of nozzles, the plurality of nozzles divided into a plurality of nozzle groups, each nozzle of a nozzle group configured to eject ink of a same color and type and a control device configured to control the inkjet head to print in a normal print mode and a low-temperature print mode.